Mechanical behaviors of ZL 109/Al2O3•SiO2 particle reinforced composites

The squeeze-casting method is utilized to synthesize ZL109/Al2O3 center dot SiO2 particle reinforced composites with 5%, 10%, 20%, 30% (volume fraction) Al2O3 center dot SiO2 particles, respectively. The microstructures and mechanical behaviors of ZL109/Al2O3 center dot SiO2 particle reinforced composites were studied, and the mechanical properties were tested. The results show that Al2O3 center dot SiO2 particles can be homogeneously distributed on the aluminum matrix in this process. The hardnesses of the composites are higher than that of the Al matrix, and increases with increasing the volume fraction of Al2O3 center dot SiO2 particles. The tensile strengths and elongations of the composites are lower than that of the Al matrix, and decrease with increasing the volume fraction of Al2O3 center dot SiO2 particles. The fracture characteristics of the composites has an obvious change with increasing the volume fraction of Al2O3 center dot SiO2 particles on the fracture section, the toughness dens become smaller and shallower, and the tearing ridges and "rivers" pattern appear. The fracture characteristics of the composites become fragile from ductile with the increase of the volume fraction of Al2O3 center dot SiO2 particles. Elastic moduli of the composites have little change compared with the Al matrix.